Gripping tool with rotatable head

ABSTRACT

A gripping tool includes a shaft, a handle secured to one end of the shaft, and a tool head mounted for universal rotation at the opposite end of the shaft. The head includes a pair of resilient extending arms defining a gripping area into which a gripping projection extends from each arm. The tool is particularly suited for dragging standard gas cylinders over hilly terrains, the gripping projections being arranged to engage standard openings in the cylinder cap. The handle includes a freely rotatable grip extending perpendicular to the shaft.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,761,121 Reid Sept. 25, 1973 GRIPPINGTOOL WITH ROTATABLE HEAD [76] Inventor: Alfred E. Reid, Prospect St.,pnfinary g f 3? g e:

Bethlehem NH 03574 Assistant xammero nny erry Att0rneyRose & Edell [22]Filed: July 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 162,136

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl. 294/26, 294/19 R, 294/99 R [51] Int. Cl.B65g 7/12 A gripping includes a Shaft, a handle secured to [58] Field ofSearch 294/4, 15, l6, 19 R, one end f the shaft, and a tool head mountedfor 294/221 31,5315 99 R; versal rotation at the opposite end of theshaft. The

280/47-1 1! 47-15; 306/2 3 head includes a pair of resilient extendingarms defining a gripping area into which a gripping projection ex- [561References Clted tends from each arm. The tool is particularly suitedfor UNITED STATES PATENTS dragging standard gas cylinders over hillyterrains, the 3,265,430 8/1966 Jenkins 294/19 A pp g pwiections beingarranged to engage Standard 2,589,612 3/1952 Herrington 294/99 Ropenings in the cylinder cap. The handle includes a 2,271,901 2/1942Smith et a1 294/26 freely rotatable grip extending perpendicular to the2,449,680 9/l948 Wak et al. 294/104 X haft 2,843,414 7/1958 Findiesen294/4 Great Britain 294/22 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP25I973 ATTORNEYS 1 GRIPPING TOOL WITH ROTATABLE HEAD BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to grappling instruments and,more particularly, to a tool for seizing and holding standard gascylinders in order that they may be safely dragged across snow or asimilar low-friction surface.

Prior art approaches to moving gas cylinders (such as standard hundredpound propane cylinders) over snow-covered ground have taken advantageof the countour of the cylinder itself. Specifically, the cylindercountour acts as a runner in the snow, permitting a rope or similarimplement to be employed to drag the cylinder like a sled. The mainproblem with this type of approach occurs on hilly terrain where thecylinder tends to roll in a direction generally perpendicular to thedirection in which it is being dragged. Under such circumstances therelatively heavy cylinder builds up significant rolling momentum andtends to unscrew the cylinder cap or tear the rope or other implementloose from the grip of the individual who is hauling the cylinder. Oftenif the individual does not let loose of his grip he is subject to beinginjured. For example, once the cylinder begins to roll the hauling ropebegins to bind until it either breaks or exerts considerable torque onthe hand, wrist and arm of the hauler. If a rigid bar-like member,rather than a rope, is employed, a sudden torque can actually break thehaulers wrist if he does not release his grip. Moreover, if the haulerpermits the implement to rotate in his hand he becomes subject to severeflesh burns.

Certain prior art gripping tools for liquid and gas cylinders take theform of a simple rod with a hook at one end for engaging gripping holesin the cylinder cap. Frequently the hook inadvertently actuates thewheel on the cylinder valve, opening the valve and spraying thepressurized contents all over the area, particularly on the feet andlegs of the operator. Since the temperature of liquid propane, forexample, is about -44 F, the operator is often the victim of severefeeze burns.

Inadvertent actuation of the cylinder valve is also possible if the capunscrews from the cylinder when the latter begins rolling. The rollinguncapped cylinder has been known to strike objects which actuate orbreak the valve, causing a severe fire hazard and the real possibilityof an uncontrolled jet-propelled cylinder causing untold damage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrumentsuitable for an individual to safely drag or haul cylindrical objectsacross low-friction surfaces.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool with whichgas cylinders may be dragged along snow-covered ground without danger tothe operator. Specifically, the present invention is intended to avoiddanger to the operator on hilly terrain where the cylinder tends toroll.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a tool forhauling gas cylinders includes a handle, a gripping head and a shaftinterconnecting the handle and head. The shaft and head are rotatablyjoined by means of a universal joint to permit the head to pivot in anydirection. The head includes two spaced resilient arms having respectivegripping studs extending generally toward one another. The distancebetween the studs is slightly less than the diameter of the cap of astandard gas cylinder so that the resilient arms may be spread as thetool head slides over the cylinder cap. The tool head is pushed over thecap until the standard gripping holes in the cap are engaged by thestuds, at which point the resilient arms push the studs into thegripping holes. Any tendencyof the cylinder to roll during haulingcauses the tool head to rotate relative to the shaft and handle,producing no rotation of the shaft and permitting the hauler to retainhis grip without danger. In addition, the handle includes a rotatablymounted grip which prevents the hauler from suffering flesh burns andscrapes on his palm when the cylinder tends to roll;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects,features and advantages of the present invention will become apparentupon consideration of the following detailed description of specificembodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the tool of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the tool of FIG. 1 utilized tohaul a standard gas cylinder.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring in detail to theaccompanying drawings, the tool of the present invention comprises ahead 10, a handle 1 l, and a shaft 13 joining the head and handle. Head10 includes a universal joint or ball joint 15 of the same general typeutilized in automotive vehicles. Ball joint 15 includes a main bodyportion and a forwardly (i.e. to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) projectingstud 17 which is welded to or otherwise fixedly secured to shaft 13 incoaxial relation. As is well known, stud 17 is rotatable about itslongitudinal axis within the body portion of ball joint 15. A greasefitting 16 is provided for lubrication of the ball joint as necessary.

Opposite sides of ball joint 15 are milled flat to smoothly abutrespective brackets 18 and 19. These brackets are generally rectangular,although this configuration may be varied, and extend rearwardly of balljoint 15 (i.e. to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2). A pair of resilient arms20, 21 are secured to respective facing surfaces of brackets l8, 19, bymeans of bolts 22, or the like, and washer plates 23.

Arms 20, 21 are resilient, preferably being made from strongly temperedspring steel, and extend rearwardly (i.e. to the right in FIGS. 1, 2) ofuniversal joint 15 and brackets 18, 19. A pair of gripping studs 24, 25extend generally toward one another from respective arms 20, 21.Specifically, stud 24 is secured to arm 20 proximate the end of the armand extends generally toward arm 21; stud 25 is secured to arm 21proximate the end of that arm and! extends generally toward arm 20.Studs 24, 25 are preferably angled slightly (about 9% from normal to thearms) so as to point slightly forward (i.e. to the left in FIG. 1).

Handle 11 is generally D-shaped and is preferably made from a section ofcold rolled steel. The ends 27, 28 of the handle section are located atthe mid-point of the arcuate portion of the D and project outwardlytherefrom toward head 10. Shaft 13 comprises a steel tube which at oneend 29 receives handle ends 27, 28. End 29 of shaft 13 is flattened toprevent handle 11 from rolling with the shaft. The handle and shaft endsare preferably welded together. A cylindrical grip 31 surrounds abushing 32 which in turn surrounds the straight action of the D-shapedhandle 11. Grip 31 freely rotates about bushing 32 and the handle.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, head is adapted to engage the standardgripping holes provided in the cap of the standard gas bottle orcylinder, such as hundred pound propane cylinders. Specifically, a gasbottle 35 includes a cap 36 having standard opposed gripping holes oropenings 37, 38. The spacing between arms 20, 21 when the latter areunflexed is preferably slightly less than the diameter of cap 36. Ashead 10 is pushed over cap 36, studs 24 and 25 are contacted by the capwhich acts to spread arms 20, 21 further apart. Pushing of the head ontothe cap continues until studs 24, 25 enter openings 37, 38,respectively, at which time arms 20, 21 snap closer toward one anotherand engage the cap. Cylinder 35 may now be pulled in the direction ofthe arrow in FIG. 3 without fear of studs 24, 25 disengaging cap 36. Toremove the tool from the cylinder, the head is once again pushed(opposite the hauling direction) toward the cylinder body until studs24, 25 disengage openings 37, 38. This is readily achieved because ofthe slight angle (i.e. from normal to the arms) made by the studs whichpermits them to slide out of openings 37, 38. The sliding of the studsin this manner tends to spread arms 20, 21 further apart until the studscompletely clear openings 37, 38, at which point head 10 may be removedfrom the cylinder.

An important advantage of the present invention resides in the fact thathead 10 is freely rotatable relative to handle 11 and shaft 13. When abottle or cylinder 35 is being hauled over hilly terrain and tends toroll in a direction normal to the hauling direction, no torque isexerted on either the shaft or the handle; therefore the hauler is notin any danger of having his wrist broken by the heavy rolling cylinder.The hauler can, therefore, prevent the cylinder from rolling away simplyby holding on to handle 11. The cylinder, thus restrained at its forwardend (i.e. at cap 36) by the tool, is forced to swing an arc about thehauler rather than roll down hill. Grip 31, by being rotatable about thehandle proper, permits the hauler to maintain his grip even as the arcis swung; if grip 31 did not freely rotate, the handle would tend torotate in the haulers hand, causing friction burns and possible skintearing. The hauler can therefore prevent the cylinder from rolling awaywithout endangering himself.

In the preferred embodiment the ball joint is preferably a 360 universaljoint such as utilized in automotive vehicles. By way of example only, atypical tool might have the following dimensions and characteristics:Cap 36 on the gas bottle is usually between 3% to 4 inches, so that thespacing between unflexed arms 20, 21 would normally be less than this.The arms are replaceable if broken and, as mentioned above, arepreferably spring steel, tempered to a hardness of 58 Rockwell, and areapproximately /8 inch wide (i.e. from top to bottom in FIG. 2). Thegripping studs 24, 25 are set at about 9 relative to normal to permiteasy push on" and push off" operation of the tool. The

overall length of the tool is about 34% inches. The handle core 33 ispreferably if! inch cold rolled steel and fits about 1% inches intoshaft 13. Grip 33 is preferably 4% inches long. Shaft 13 has a inchinside diameter.

The total disclosed above has been described as having utility indragging gas bottles over low friction surfaces such as snow. To thisend, studs 24, 25 serve the particular function described. The conceptdisclosed, however, has broader utilization, in that the universallyrotatable head permits a rotating body to be hauled or otherwise movedby a shaft and handle without causing rotation of the shaft or handle.

While I have described and illustrated specific embodiments of myinvention, it will be clear that variations of the details ofconstruction which are specifically illustrated and described may beresorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for seizing and dragging a standard pressurized gas cylinderof the type having a cap with two diametrically opposed openings, saidtool including:

a shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends;

a handle secured to said first end of said shaft, said handle includinga straight section extending generally perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis and a grip surrounding and rotatable about saidstraight section; tool head including a universal ball joint having astem secured to said second end of said shaft such that said tool headis universally rotatable relative to said second end, said tool headalso including a pair of extending resilient arms defining a grippingarea therebetween, said arms being spaced when unflexed by a distancesmaller than the diameter of the cap of said gas cylinder, each armincluding at least one projection configured to engage a respective oneof said opposed openings in said cap when said arms are unflexed.

2. The tool according to claim 1 wherein said projection extends intosaid gripping area at an angle toward said ball joint of approximatelybetween 9 and 10 relative to the perpendicular to said arms, saidprojection having a sufficiently smooth surface to permit it to slideout of said opening in said cap when said tool head is pushed towardsaid gas cylinder.

3. The tool according to claim 2 wherein handle includes: a straightsection extending perpendicular to said shaft; and a hollow cylindricalgrip surrounding and freely rotatable about said straight section.

4. The tool according to claim 2 wherein said arms are separable fromsaid tool head and replaceable.

5. The tool according to claim 1 wherein said ball joint includes acasing which is milled flat on opposite sides, said tool head furthercomprising first and second brackets each having a flat surface abuttingand secured to a respective one of said opposite casing sides, and meansfor removably securing each of said arms to a respective bracket.

1. A tool for seizing and dragging a standard pressurized gas cylinderof the type having a cap with two diametrically opposed openings, saidtool including: a shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and secondends; a handle secured to said first end of said shaft, said handleincluding a straight section extending generally perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis and a grip surrounding and rotatable about saidstraight section; a tool head including a universal ball joint having astem secured to said second end of said shaft such that said tool headis universally rotatable relative to said second end, said tool headalso including a pair of extending resilient arms defining a grippingarea therebetween, said arms being spaced when unflexed by a distancesmaller than the diameter of the cap of said gas cylinder, each armincluding at least one projection configured to engage a respective oneof said opposed openings in said cap when said arms are unflexed.
 2. Thetool according to claim 1 wherein said projection extends into saidgripping area at an angle toward said ball joint of approximatelybetween 9* and 10* relative to the perpendicular to said arms, saidprojection having a sufficiently smooth surface to permit it to slideout of said opening in said cap when said tool head is pushed towardsaid gas cylinder.
 3. The tool according to claim 2 wherein handleincludes: a straight section extending perpendicular to said shaft; anda hollow cylindrical grip surrounding and freely rotatable about saidstraight section.
 4. The tool according to claim 2 wherein said arms areseparable from said tool head and replaceable.
 5. The tool according toclaim 1 wherein said ball joint includes a casing which is milled flaton opposite sides, said tool head further comprising first and secondbrackets each having a flat surface abutting and secured to a respectiveone of said opposite casing sides, and means for removably securing eachof said arms to a respective bracket.